In the unforgiving and chaotic world of “Helldivers 2,” your survival and success on the battlefield hinge not only on your skill and firepower but also on the strategic choices you make before stepping into the fray. Among these choices, selecting the right backpack strategem can dramatically alter your gameplay experience, offering you a suite of passive benefits that range from enhanced mobility and defensive capabilities to superior firepower and support options. This guide is designed to dissect the nuances of each available backpack strategem, providing you with the knowledge to tailor your loadout to your playstyle, the mission at hand, and the formidable enemies you’ll face, be they the relentless Terminated or the cunning Automaton forces.
Understanding the strengths, weaknesses, and optimal use cases for each strategem is essential for both novice and veteran players aiming to maximize their effectiveness in combat. Whether you’re a lone wolf braving the dangers solo, or part of a coordinated team diving into enemy territory, the right backpack can be your best ally—or a misstep could lead to your downfall. From the protective embrace of the Shield Generator Pack to the tactical advantages offered by the Jump Pack, this guide will provide you with the insights to make informed decisions, ensuring that you’re not just surviving, but thriving and leading your squad to victory against the galaxy’s most daunting adversaries.
Ballistic Shield
One of the less useful items in the game. Offers very little defense against most enemy types and still leaves you open for attack. The ballistic shield is likely a backpack you will leave behind.
- Best For: Limited scenarios, primarily against the Automaton faction for minor protection against small arms fire.
- Strengths: Offers passive protection against shots to the back even when not actively used.
- Weaknesses: Provides negligible protection against melee attacks and is ineffective against the Terminated faction. It is dropped upon heavy impact, making it unreliable.
- Recommended Use: Consider pairing with one-handed weapons like SMGs for some benefit, but generally, there are better options available.
Guard Dog
The standard guard dog boasts some heavy firepower but due to frequent reloading, it does not offer as much in game benefit compared to the laser variant.
- Best For: Lower difficulties or against smaller, less armored enemies from both factions.
- Strengths: Effective at dealing with small to medium-sized enemies, adding firepower without needing to actively engage.
- Weaknesses: Limited ammo capacity leads to frequent reloads and downtime. Ineffective against heavily armored units.
- Recommended Use: Useful for solo players at lower difficulties or when you need additional firepower to manage swarms of smaller enemies.
Guard Dog Rover (Laser Variant)
During the early stages of the game, the laser guard dog rover, is one of the best backpacks you can use. This will cover your back when there are swarms to help you as you get on your feet. Definitely not a backpack to use in the higher difficulties of the game but this will definitely help you out a lot in the early days.
- Best For: A more sustainable option that performs well in a variety of environments, especially on ice-based planets.
- Strengths: Longer engagement times due to heat-based ammo system, which is beneficial in both cold and regular temperatures.
- Weaknesses: Lower DPS compared to the regular Guard Dog and struggles against heavily armored units.
- Recommended Use: A good choice for both solo and group play at lower difficulties, offering consistent support against non-armored targets.
Supply Pack
Useful if you are working with a coordinated team but for the most part, the game does provide enough ammo that this doesn’t offer too much benefit.
- Best For: Essential for teams and solo players relying on support weapons.
- Strengths: Enables frequent resupplying of support weapons without needing additional supply strategems, significantly enhancing sustainability.
- Weaknesses: Not applicable with other backpack-based equipment, limiting its use with certain weapons.
- Recommended Use: Always have at least one team member equipped with this in group play. Solo players should ensure their loadout benefits from the extra supplies.
Jump Pack
Some players will swear by this one as it will allow you to become a stronger stealth diver. Jumping onto high rocks, out of reach of enemies and overall dodging as many encounters as possible. The jump pack can be an incredible tool in the right hands.
- Best For: Players skilled at maneuvering, offering high mobility to evade enemies or reach objectives quickly, especially against the Terminated.
- Strengths: Allows for quick distancing from enemies and can be used offensively or defensively.
- Weaknesses: Offers little team value unless used strategically; less effective against the Automaton due to their ranged capabilities.
- Recommended Use: Best in the hands of experienced players who can leverage the mobility to enhance their gameplay significantly.
Shield Generator Pack
Currently one of the best backpacks to use in the game, the shield generator backpack will give you a doggy live when it comes to many enemies that will one shot kill you.
- Best For: Universal application, offering significant health and resistance benefits, making it a top-tier choice for any player.
- Strengths: Nearly doubles player health and offers resistance to staggers, slows, and knockdowns, enhancing both offensive and defensive capabilities.
- Weaknesses: Increases hitbox size, which can be a liability against Automaton rocket attacks.
- Recommended Use: Highly recommended for solo play against the Terminated. For Automaton encounters, effectiveness may vary; testing is advised to gauge personal preference.
In summary, the choice of backpack strategem in “Helldivers 2” greatly depends on your playstyle, the faction you’re up against, and whether you’re playing solo or in a group. Each strategem offers unique advantages that can be leveraged in different scenarios. Experimenting with each option will help you understand which best complements your approach to the game, enhancing both your enjoyment and effectiveness as a Helldiver.
